Day Eighteen January 29, 2008 Tuesday

Today Erin and I woke up at about 7:30 to get ready to go to the Catlins. The boys from our group picked us up at eight after we had some cereal, and Vicki was nice enough to make us our lunches. We piled in the van, picking a few others up on the way, and making it to the school just a tad later than 8:30 when we were supposed to be there. Everyone loaded into vans and we were off. It felt like old times again in the vans, and I have to say that I wasn’t quite ready for those times to start again! I read my book most of the way there. We finally arrived and decided to go to the petrified forest first. I don’t know what I was expecting, but not what I saw! It was a whole beach of big flat rocks that went out right into the ocean. When we got close it was easy to tell that the rocks were once in the shape of wood, but it was really cool. I got some amazing pictures with the ocean spray and the beautiful scenery. After the petrified forest we got back in the vans and drove about 35 seconds to the beach that was the Catlins. Now what I am going to talk about next will be absolutely impossible to believe, but I promise that every word is true, so be warned. I quickly ate a sandwich when we pulled up to the beach and changed my basketball shorts for my swimming shorts. When I got out I ran down to the beach with everyone else and threw my shoes off on the way. The water was absolutely freezing, so I decided that the best method was to run in and dive head first into the first wave that came my way. It was a little breathtaking, but I recovered and acclimated fairly quickly. Once I was in the water I played in the waves a bit, but not too long after we got there someone said the magic word: dolphins. I saw a few of the dolphins a ways out, and knowing that I am a fairly good swimmer I decided to swim out to about where they were (it really wasn’t too far, maybe 50 yards). Anyway, so I get out there pretty far and completely by myself and I think that for some reason the dolphins like me, because they came up next to me pretty immediately. We aren’t allowed to touch the dolphins because they have very delicate skin, but I can tell you this much, one dolphin came so close to me that I was able to look in it’s eyeball! It was about this time that I decided to analyze my situation: 50 yards out, all by myself, 4 to 7 five-foot mammals swimming all around me, yep time to go back! It was really cool, and I didn’t actually get scared, but it was a little unsettling how the dolphins move, its like they are in one place one moment and a completely different place the next! Once I got back in I told everyone what happened and of course they were all jealous, so some of them got a little bolder and started going out farther. In the mean time I grabbed a boogy board and went farther down the beach with about four other people to see if I could see the dolphins surf the waves and jump out the backs of them. On my way out to meet the others the dolphins again decided to come visit me up close and personal! This time there were about four of them and they were right next to me! Finally I got out to the others and watched the dolphins swimming the waves for a few minutes. Eventually we decided to go in because we were getting cold. Most of the others were faster to get into shore than I was because I was dragging the board with me. Apparently there was one point where they all looked back at me when I was on the tip top of a 15 foot wave and there were dolphins on every side of me and even under me! They were so close to me that my friends were worried they were going to hit me! I don’t know what it was, but for some reason the dolphins totally loved me! We finally got into shore and were telling anyone who would listen how majestic the dolphins were when they rode the waves together, like synchronized swimmers! At this point I had been in the water for about an hour and was really starting to feel the chill. I decided to lay out on the beach for a while. After about 40 minutes of laying on the beach we were all ready to go home. I went up to the vans to climb in, but the boys were taking forever, so I started reading some of the signs by the bay entrance. Most of the signs were about the dolphins. The kind of dolphins that visit the bay are called Hector’s dolphins. I guess they are a very endangered species and there are only about 3,000 left in the entire world! They are a very pretty dolphin, they grow only to about five feet, but they have many different shades of grey that make up their body, not just one like most bottle nose dolphins. It was seriously one of the most incredible things I have ever done in my entire life! We finally all climbed back into the vans and went to a cave, but unfortunately we had to pay to get in and we were running short on time, so we decided to skip it. We drove home to Invercargill and went to the bike shop to get our bikes. I have to say, I was expecting some fairly worn second-hand bikes. We were all shocked when we pulled up and saw 40 brand spanking new shiny red mountain bikes waiting for us! We all figured out what sizes we needed and picked out helmets and locks. Finally Erin and I got all checked out and started riding our new bikes home. I’m fairly positive it was the fact that we spent all day at the ocean and I had a million pound pack on my back, but the fact that we live so faraway was painfully clear this afternoon! We finally made it home at about half past six and I immediately went for the shower. When I was done we ate supper, an amazingly delicious Sheppard’s pie, and decided to all watch a movie together. We watched the Holiday because my family had never seen it before. Of course they all loved it. They laughed at the way that I laugh so openly during movies and things when I think they are comical. It has been brought to my attention before, but I figure it is always better to laugh in life than to keep silent! I hope the bike ride tomorrow is easier!

Day Seventeen January 28, 2008 Monday

Today Erin and I woke up at about a quarter to nine and had some breakfast. We have committed to exercising every single morning before school so that we can get in shape. This morning we took the girls to the little community center pool and did laps for about 45 minutes while they played. The pool was perfect, it is about 30 meters long and only a couple of feet deep, so it is the perfect lap pool. Also, there is a nice little bush walk by our house as well, so Erin and I figured we could jog through the bush walk to the pool, then swim laps for a while, then bike into town for class. If we do that every morning we will be in amazing shape! After swimming we came back home and took showers and got ready to go to town to pick up our bikes. Just before we left we had some sandwiches for lunch. We got to school at one and they told us that they didn’t have our bikes for us because they had been shipped a day later than expected, but they promised that they would be there the next day. This wasn’t really a big deal, except for the fact that we told Vicki she wouldn’t have to pick us up because we could just bike home. We felt really bad, but eventually we did end up calling her to come get us because when we tried to line up a ride with Tyler and Cameron they got a flat tire. It turned out to not be that big of a deal though. After we got a quick tour of the school we waited for about three hours to get our ID cards. When we finally got our cards we walked to the lollie shop so I could get a phone card, and then we continued on to The Warehouse (the equivalent to a small-scale Wal-Mart). Vicki came and picked us up from The Warehouse at about five. I came home and called my boys for the first time! It was so good to hear their voices, I missed them even more than I thought I did. I wished I could have called my mom and sister, but since they are on the East coast it would have been about 12:30 at night, so I decided to wait. I might not be able to call them until Wednesday because tomorrow we are going to the Catlins and may not be back until fairly late. Hopefully I will be able to talk to them soon though. It was great to hear from home, but I really am glad that I am here, I am learning so much about the world and myself. Just before I talked to my boys I found out that President Hinckley died. I was sad of course, but I know that he has done so much with his life and so much for the church that he is in good hands now and he will finally be able to see his sweet wife again. After a delicious dinner we all sat down and talked for a while. Vicki’s brother is here with his wife and two little girls, so it was fun to see them. They are from Australia. They decided to go see a movie in town and Erin and I decided to tag along. We saw Cloverfield, which was interesting, and very artistic, but one I would only see once. Now it is late and I have to wake up super early.

Day Sixteen January 27, 2008 Sunday

Today we woke up at about eight so we could get ready for church in time. Of course after we got all ready we received a phone call telling us it wasn’t until ten! I will never again in my life underestimate the joys of a hot shower and a mattress to sleep on, last night was heaven! We had cereal for breakfast, and a little bit of fruit salad, which was lovely. After breakfast we hung around for a bit and then Mark drove us to church. It is quite a long distance from the house, I would guess probably 7-9 km, which will not be very fun in the rain on bicycles! We went to church and met our new ward. Everyone was very friendly and happy to meet us. They didn’t give out specific assignments yet, but I think I am going to be teaching relief society one week. Church was a little long, they have trouble filling all the time they are given with their regular speakers, so someone from the presidency gets up and rambles for a bit until the time is through! One of the best parts about church was hearing about everyone else’s families. I am fully convinced that Erin and I have the best family far and away! When we came back from church we had lunch and ate these amazing sandwiches. After lunch we walked over to the eastern paddock to see the new calf that was born three days ago, it was very cute. When we said goodbye to the cows and the horse Mark and the girls suggested we go to the beach. We drove about 5km down the rode to the beach here and the girls and I took turns on the boogy boards. Erin didn’t want to get all gross again, but I just dove right in! After about an hour we headed back to the house to help Vicki get ready for the barbeque. Yes we had another barbeque tonight! Vicki and Mark had the food pretty much under control, so I went outside to take the clothes off the line. I must say that I will never again underestimate the extravagance of fabric softener! When I had all the clothes folded and off the line I came inside and the girls wanted to watch a movie until the barbeque started. I have to tell you about the barbeques in New Zealand, because I am convinced that it is how we should be doing it in the states. First of all, no one starts cooking until all the guests have arrived, just all of the preparations are done in advance. This is nice because everyone works together and socializes while the food is cooking. The next great thing is that everyone brings a little bit of everything. In America usually the host party will handle the meat, while guests bring dessert or a salad or something. Here, because everyone brings some of everything, there are about seven different kinds of meats, three salads, and at least two desserts! It really is a whole bunch of fun, and such a fine array of flavors! The barbeque was great and the food was incredible. I am kind of hoping that they don’t keep feeding me like this though, because I am never going to get in shape if they do! After we were done eating the girls wanted to watch Pride and Prejudice, so we sat down and watched it with them. Now it is late and I am stuffed and very sleepy, it has been another amazing day in paradise. (My arms are ridiculously dark now, and I still have three months to go, I can’t wait to see them when I get home!)

Day Fifteen January 26, 2008 Saturday

Today I woke up around eight. I had some breakfast and packed up all of my sleeping gear. The girl who usually assists with packing the trailers was injured a few days ago in Christchurch. I decided that today would be a good day to use my muscles and show my stuff. I packed one of the trailers with all of the bags, and did a pretty bang up job. The trailers are small, and they have to fit a whole lot of different sized bags, it is kind of like playing Jenga! After we were all packed up we hopped in the vans and rolled out of Cromwell at about ten. We drove for a couple of hours and ended up stopping at the Kaurau river bungee jumping site that I have been telling you all about. It was a little shocking to be there, and no one really wanted to jump today because we wanted the feelings of anticipation, so we just watched a few jumps and got back in the vans. We pulled over for lunch a little ways outside of Queenstown right alongside a beautiful lake, that was absolutely breathtaking. Finally after lunch we all piled into the vans again and headed off, knowing that our next stop would be home! We arrived in Invercargill at around three, to a spectacularly beautiful day. It is so gorgeous here, and the city is small, but very diverse, and I can tell it will be very fun to explore. We pulled into a small car park across the street from our school (SIT) and unloaded our trailers. When we were all unloaded we sat back and waited for our family, the Duncan’s, to come and pick us up. Everybody’s family kept coming except mine and Erin’s. It was a little sad for a few minutes, we felt kind of like the ugly puppies that only get adopted after all of the cute ones are gone! We needn’t have worried though, our family came in the end, and the saying good things come to those who wait has never rung truer! My mom’s name is Vicki and her husband Mark. They have two girls, Taylor who is 13 and Sophie who is 10. They are all white, big, and blonde, so I fit right in! They are not Maori, but they were all born and raised right here in Invercargill. We hopped into Vicki’s car and we headed to the house. The Duncan’s live a ways outside of town in a little village called Otatara. They are going to give us a car, but there is a problem, it is a manual transmission, and neither Erin nor I know how to drive one! We aren’t planning on driving it often, but to church would be nice! I have no idea what we are going to do! Here is the best part though, the Duncan’s live on a ten acre patch of land with cows and chickens! My dad has always said I should live on a farm, well I live on a very small scale one today, so I guess he will be happy! I am seriously so excited, my family is so nice and sweet and they told us that we really live there, that we are just one of the family. One of the cows calved yesterday and a batch of chicks was born two days ago. Also there is a dog named Ziggy, who is almost as cute as Buddy and about the same age. I am so glad she is here, because she will keep me from missing Buddy too much! Once Erin and I unpacked and got settled the Duncan’s asked us if we wanted to go to a barbeque, of course we were thrilled to meet some other New Zealanders and heartily accepted! We all piled into the car again and headed off to their friend’s house Gordon and Deborah. Some other friends named Gregg and Lisa were there too. All the adults were drinking of course, but the conversation and food was so good that the time just flew by. Gordon and Deborah had just returned from a trip to America, and it was so fun to hear some of the same reactions they had about our country that we had about theirs! Before we knew it it was ten and Erin and I could barely keep our eyes open. I am so exhausted that I think I might fall asleep right this second, but it has been an amazing day. I seriously cannot believe my luck with my family. I realized this will be the first time I have lived in a traditional family setting for about six years. I am so excited for the next three months that I need to go to sleep now so I can wake up and start having a blast! (Too bad we have church tomorrow!)

Day Fourteen January 25, 2008 Friday

Today we woke up at 6:30 in the morning. We were packed up and ready to go quickly, with muffins in the van for breakfast. We all piled into the vans and headed out. We stopped not too far into the drive at a glacial river. It was seriously the color of glacier freeze flavored Gatorade, I wonder if that is where they got the name? We then drove to an actual glacier and took a small hike up to get to a point where we could really see it, It was amazing! Our third stop we made at the biggest glacier of all, it took up the whole side of the mountain, and was all different colors. It was absolutely beautiful. What was really amazing to me was that there was this huge glacier coming down the side of the mountain, and all around it were hills of lush tropical-forest type foliage with waterfalls and sheer cliffs! It was an amazing thing to behold, and really made me appreciate some of God’s finer creations. After the last glacier we had lunch and piled in the vans again. The whole trip took over ten hours, and at least eight of them were in the vans, if not longer. We watched two movies and talked a lot. It goes without saying that we are all extremely sick of each other and ready for this last van ride tomorrow that will finally bring us to Invercargill. When we finally reached Cromwell we lounged for a while, then ate dinner. I played some volleyball after dinner for about an hour, and that was fun. Now I am really ready for bed.

Day Thirteen January 24, 2008 Thursday

Today we woke up super early and packed and grabbed breakfast on the run. We piled into the vans and headed across the island to Greymouth. The drive seemed to take about a hundred years, but I can’t say it wasn’t beautiful. We drove through Arthur’s Pass, which was breathtaking. Also, after we had lunch we did a short hike called the Devil’s Punchbowl up to a gorgeous waterfall! It was a beautiful hike, and a wonderful finish. After our hike we all got back in again and started driving for another few hours. All told we probably drove about six hours today. When we finally arrived in Greymouth everyone got really excited because we are literally on the beach. Not joking I am probably a hundred yards from the Tasman Sea at this moment separated only by a couple of bushes. When we got here we all went out to the beach and fell asleep and talked in the sun. We would have played games, but it is a rocky beach, not a sandy one. We eventually had dinner and then went to the grocery store to by supplies for tomorrow’s van ride. When we came back we all went out to the beach again to watch the sunset, which was absolutely breathtaking. Now I am ready for bed. We have an insanely long van ride tomorrow, at the very least ten hours, because we are driving from Greymouth to Cromwell. We will get in really late and then arrive in Invercargill Saturday morning. Man am I ready to have a home and a bed, I can’t wait to meet my new family!

Day Twelve January 23, 2008 Wednesday

Today we were able to sleep in a bit, which was really nice. We ate breakfast around 9:30, got ready for the day, and headed to Christchurch around eleven. Luckily, the weather couldn’t have been more opposite from yesterday, it was beautiful!!! When we first arrived a bunch of the girls decided to go to the jade factory. I got a couple of presents for people, but nothing for myself. I was tempted, but my rational side reminded me that I really don’t wear necklaces, and green doesn’t look that great on me anyway! After the jade factory we broke up into smaller groups. I ended up spending almost the entire day with my tent buddy Julia. I totally love this girl, she is easy-going and probably the sweetest person I have ever met. First when we got to cathedral square we checked out the little souvenir shops. We didn’t really find anything that was well-priced and non-tacky. After the shops we saw a man that was called Lord Livingstone, and that was exactly what he was. It was a man dressed in a stone-like outfit that pretended to be a statue, it was incredible! After the funny man we checked out some of the statues and went into the cathedral. Our first reaction was shocked awe. The cathedral was done in the neo-gothic style, and it was so incredible inside we were both amazed. We decided to fork up the two dollars to climb to the top of the tower so we could look out over the whole city. I have to say the view was worth it, but there were so many steps we both decided they should be paying us! After the cathedral we went to the little outdoor marketplace. It was full of all sorts of cute little shops and fun handmade knick knacks. Again I was tempted, but decided not to splurge. After the little market place we went to lunch at a little coffee house called the coffee club. Words cannot describe how good my sandwich was after a week and a half of pb&j for lunch! Julia and I decided to split a slice of boysenberry cheesecake, and I’m not even going to try to describe how amazing that was, I’ll just end up salivating uncontrollably! After lunch a bunch of people went back to the jade factory, but Julia and I decided to check out the local art gallery. The pieces were mostly by students, but they did some truly amazing things with everyday oils and materials. Finally we ended our trip to Christchurch by getting pulled over for not wearing our seatbelt! (just our driver, but still it was $150!) When we got back to our little apartments we had some dinner and hung out and talked a lot. I played a super competitive game of Ultimate with some of the kids, but it got dark really fast so we had to cut it short. We finished the evening by starting the Holiday on my computer, but most everyone fell asleep, so I ended up turning it off after an hour.

Day Eleven January 22, 2008 Tuesday

Today, despite the promise that we were going to be able to sleep late and take it easy, they woke us up bright and early and told us we had half an hour to eat breakfast and pack up camp. After scrambling around we finally pulled out of our camp around 8:30. We hopped in the vans and drove for a few hours. Most of the time I read my book, but we also played a few car games that were really fun. One game we played was called make the link. Basically one person would come up with two actors and we would have to make a chain of movies and other actors to get from one to the other. So for example, Meg Ryan and Pierce Brosnan: Meg Ryan was in Kate and Leopold with Hugh Jackman, Hugh Jackman was in X-Men with Halle Berry, and Halle Berry was in James Bond with Pierce Brosnan! It sounds kind of dumb, but it is actually really hard and fun! Finally when we got to Christchurch we pulled into the LDS church and had lunch on the lawn: cliché? Yes. After lunch we went to the Christchurch botanical gardens. This was quite possibly the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. The best part was that it wasn’t just flowers, there were gigantic trees everywhere with grass and winding paths. We did find one greenhouse that had a section called flowering plants, this room was full of the biggest most beautiful flowers I have ever seen in my entire life, some were bigger than my head or a large rock! After looking at the flowers for a while I walked into town with my friend Janessa to find a bank so I could finally get rid of my American money. After we found the bank it started to rain pretty hard, so we all piled into the vans to check into our campsite. Little did we know that they had a surprise for us: We get to sleep in beds! There are four of us to a room, but we really get to sleep on beds with mattresses and everything! Who knew a bed would be the best gift you could ever get? Once we all settled in I went to the store with another group and bought some really cheap jeans so that I would have something casual to wear other than basketball shorts and track pants. When we got back the dinner crew made grilled cheese and tomato soup, which was absolutely heavenly! After dinner I took a shower so that I would be ready to go into town. Unfortunately the rain had picked up so most of the cool things in town were cancelled. Most of the girls ended up staying here and we all crowded into our bedroom and told stories. I am really excited to explore Christchurch tomorrow, I sure hope it stays dry!

Day Ten January 21, 2008 Monday

Today we woke up a little later than usual, seeing as we had nowhere we really needed to rush off to. I ended up waking up at about 8:45 in the morning and packing up my tent by myself because my tent-mates were on cooking duty. After I got done packing up my little campsite I headed over to the internet station and was able to talk to Alex on IM. It was so great to talk to him and so many other people the night before, I miss everyone, but I truly am having a blast. After we finally got breakfast around ten we loaded up the vans and drove the short distance to the Queen Charlotte Trek. I guess the trek is known world-wide and very long. We ended up only hiking about an hour up the trail and then back. The trek was beautiful and the lake below the trail had beautiful blue water and there was jungle and rainforest all around us. After we got back to the vans about two hours after we started we drove another hour back to Blenheim where we had church. While we were there we went to the grocery store and everyone bought a whole bunch of different New Zealand items. My van buddy Stephanie and I decided to get some foccacia bread that looked and smelled amazing! Finally we got back in the vans and drove another few hours south to the town of Kia Kora. The town is a little touristy, so we didn’t stop, but on the way there were some amazing beaches with thousands of seals sleeping on the rocks! It was really cool to see, like something straight from the Discovery channel. We also stopped on a black sand beach and played around a little as well. When we finally got to camp we set everything up and ate dinner, we had skipped lunch in the process of everything so everyone was starving! After dinner we went to the beach for a while, but there were huge waves and it was rocky and rainy, so we couldn’t really play ultimate Frisbee or go swimming. When we came back from the beach we decided to play three-minute murder, which is a hilarious charades game that you play when you have a huge group of people. After playing that for a while we all started to wind down and are getting ready to hit the sack. It is amazing how easy it is to go to bed at a decent time and wake up at a decent time when you fill your days with so much activity!

Day Nine January 20, 2008 Sunday

Today was Sunday, technically my second full day of the week in New Zealand. We all woke up really early so we could eat breakfast and drive the hour to Blenheim to get to church. The faces of everyone when we walked into the chapel were priceless! We easily doubled the numbers with our little group. I enjoyed listening to the accents and seeing the wonder and respect in the people’s eyes as they talk about the leaders of the church. I have always loved and respected President Hinckley, but he has always been just a few miles away. For these people he is half-way across the world, and probably always will be. All three hours for the girls were held in the chapel. After Sunday school the boys went out into the hall for priesthood. After we got back pretty much everyone decided to take a nap. Our advisor, Mark, asked us to really make today a day of rest because we have been going so hard for so long and we still have a week before we get to Invercargill. So my tent-mates and I brought our sleeping pads and bags outside and took a nap under a big tree in a field. It is amazing how quickly I have acclimated to sleeping on the ground, because I fell asleep immediately! When I woke up I got to get on the internet for just a few minutes and then we had dinner. After dinner we all got in a group meeting to discuss some of the problems we have been having. I guess we have been a little too loud during meals and at night. We stay in Holiday family parks and so we forget sometimes that we are surrounded by other people with kids and stuff who are also trying to have a good vacation. Our group is going to really work on it so that there are no more problems. After the meeting we hurried to go on a quick hike to a nearby waterfall, but unfortunately we didn’t get to it before we had to turn around and come back for devotional. Maybe I will go again in the morning before we pack up. As for now I am totally wiped and ready to go to sleep so I can continue my adventure tomorrow!

Day Eight January 19, 2008 Saturday

Today we woke up amazingly early so that we could get to Wellington at a decent time. We had bagels and cream cheese as we sat in the vans and headed out in a hurry. I was able to get a quick cat-nap in the van, and then we chitty-chatted the rest of the way. When we got to Wellington we made sure that we could find our ferry loading zone, then we made our way into town. Once we got into town we headed towards a free museum close to where we parked. It was pretty neat to look at the Maori artifacts and comparisons to what New Zealand used to be and what it is today. Once we walked around for a while a few of us found a little restaurant row and got some lunch. Unfortunately we only had seven dollars, so all we could afford was McDonalds. I guess I could have spent my own money, but I really like the equality and balance that we have struck among our group. I decided to get McDonalds just like everyone else, and it was delicious. We looked around the museum a little more after lunch, and then we drove over to the ferry that would finally take us to the south island. I was so excited, not only because I had never driven onto a boat before, but it felt like we were taking a big step towards home! I know that sounds silly, I haven’t even seen my Invercargill home, but I literally can’t wait to meet my family and sleep in a bed and call one place home. Well after waiting for a while we finally drove onto the ferry and headed up to the passenger deck. It was fun to be on a boat, but there was little to do, so I ended up working on pictures and charging my computer and talking to friends a lot. That is another thing, I honestly can’t believe that I have been lucky enough to be put together with this group of people. One girl made the comment that she had the nicest and sweetest tent-mate, and before she could tell me who it was it occurred to me that she could say any of the 34 names and I would agree with her. I love each and every person that I am on this great adventure with. I am learning so much about myself and how life is meant to be lived, free and happy with friends at your side and a positive attitude about what is ahead of you. I love this experience and I only expect it to get better. After the three hour boat ride we landed in Picton, the little shore town on the very tip of the south island. We loaded back in the vans and drove to our little campsite. The site was beautiful and there was a great sense of peace throughout the camp after the hectic day we had had and the exhausting hike the night before. Immediately I was put in charge of managing the wireless internet (apparently the advisors think I should be in charge of everything that deals with technology!). It was ok though, I was able to get on for a couple of minutes, and hopefully I will be able to update my blog tomorrow. We ate a really disgusting dinner of ramen, but I don’t think anyone cared that much. After dinner I was able to take a hot shower (gasp…AMAZING!), but wait it gets better, I was also able to blow-dry my hair for the first time in a week!!!!!!!!! I can’t tell you how easy it is to appreciate the smallest things when you are in this country. I realize now how lucky I truly am. I know that a lot of my friends and family are living a whole lot better off than I currently am, but I literally felt like the luckiest girl in the world with clean dry hair. I know that it is pretty impossible to top all that (I mean literally!). But in addition to all that extravagance, I was also able to wash all of my clothes in an actual washing machine, and dry them so they could no longer smell like mildew! Could this day get any better? I submit that it could not! Well I have to admit that I am insanely exhausted and we have to wake up bright and early to drive to church an hour away. Have a wonderful night everyone, I know that I will and am.

Day Seven January 18, 2008 Friday

I guess the only way to comment on this day is WOW…or maybe OW!!!! We woke up in Taupo and had crumpets for breakfast and quickly packed up the vans. We drove out of the city a ways, maybe an hour and a half. Finally we arrived at our hike, Mount Doom! The hike was roughly 12 miles long, but the first 4 ½ were so steep and rocky that it seriously felt like we were rock climbing rather than hiking. A lot of the out of shape people stayed behind, but I decided to go for it. As a result I ended up being one of the last people back to camp, and a little outside or target time, but I finished it! I can honestly say that I don’t think I have pushed myself harder had a more challenging physical experience in my life! I know that 12 miles doesn’t seem like a long hike, but until you see the terrain you could not possibly begin to understand how difficult it was! There were some amazing views, and it was really cool to see all of the places that they filmed Mordor and the Mount Doom scene. I saw some brilliantly aqua-blue lakes, and a red mountain, plus some beautiful country-side! Despite all the amazing things I saw, I still don’t think the absolute exhaustion was worth it. But I did realize something though, even if the views weren’t worth it, the experience was. I learned a lot about myself today, and I want to think that I grew a lot too. I have never had to convince myself to put one foot in front of the other or push myself so hard in my entire life! The hike took about six and a half hours, so we literally got back to our vans, drove to Palmerston North and set up camp. Now I am so tired that I don’t think my own will can support my body a second longer. I am off to bed because we have to wake up super early tomorrow so that we can get to the ferry on time to travel to the south island. Good night!

Day Six January 17, 2008 Thursday

We woke up at around eight today. I went to bed right after I finished my journal last night, so I think I got about ten whole hours! It felt amazing to get a good long night’s sleep. We quickly packed up the campsite and had breakfast. I had New Zealand cereal for the first time today, and I have to admit, it was a little weird! Almost every kind of cereal is some form of Wheat Bix. I had the crunchy kind of Wheat Bix, because I like my cereal to crunch, but even the crunchy kind was pretty soggy. I had a look at some of the other kinds after the milk was added, and it was pretty much soup, ick! After breakfast we all climbed into the vans again and head towards Taupo. The car ride was fairly long and every single person in my van fell asleep It was pretty funny, because I shared the backseat with this really sweet girl named Stephanie and she layed completely out on the seat and put her legs over my left leg, so that made me want to lay down so I layed down and put my right leg over her! So basically we were all completely out cold because when we woke up and everyone looked at the positions they had gotten themselves into we all started laughing hysterically! A little ways outside of Taupo we stopped at Huka falls to check them out. I have to be honest, I have never seen bluer water in my entire life, If I wasn’t looking at it with my own eyes I would swear it was fake! After the falls we had lunch and then went the rest of the way into Taupo. When we pulled into Taupo we played a little Frisbee and set up camp. After we got camp set up we all drove down to the beach. Because I had gotten fried the day before I decided to go with most of the rest of my previous-day beach cuddies to walk around town. The shops that we went into were pretty cool, especially the All Blacks store went to, which is the rugby team down here. We walked around for a while, but again most of the stores were closed. We finally decided to go to an internet café and check our e-mails. Because all of my information is on my laptop I was unable to update my blog, but it was nice to e-mail my Dad, who happened to be on at the same time! When we came back to camp we had some dinner and played a rousing game of ultimate. A few of the girls helped put some aloe on my back, and all I got was gasps, so I guess it is pretty bad. Now it is bedtime again because I have a very intense hike tomorrow! Love ya all!

Day Five January 16, 2008 Wednesday

Today I had to wake up at about 6:15 to fix breakfast. It was my group’s day to cook, and it was a really long day! We spent about four straight hours in the kitchen cooking breakfast, putting together sack lunches for everyone, and marinating the chicken for tonight. Finally at around 10:30 the group split into two, one went to town and the agrodome, the other went to the beach. I chose to go to the beach, although I think I am regretting that decision now. Not only did the other group seem to do some really cool things, like zorbing, but also, despite the copious amounts of sunscreen I lathered on, I am completely fried. The beach was beautiful and the waves were huge, the biggest I have seen in my life. We buried one of the girls in sand and went boogie bording. Finally I had to come home a little early to get dinner ready. However, I got home before most everyone else, so I took a shower and washed my clothes while I was at it (yeah, I washed my clothes in the shower with one of those travel Tide packs!). After dinner we went to the Maori cultural center and watched some traditional New Zealand performances. It was really neat, we saw both poi and haka dances. When we came back we had ice cream, and I discovered that somehow I managed to cut the middle of my foot really really deep. I cleaned the cut and put a bandage on it, but it is so deep that it hurts to walk. Suffice it to say that even though it is only 10:00 and everyone is still up, with my foot and sunburn I am more than ready to go to bed. We leave Roto Rua early tomorrow morning to drive to Taupo.

Day Four January 15, 2008 Tuesday

Today I woke up at about 8:00. I felt 100% better from the night before and ready to start the day! First thing we did was have breakfast, It was amazing, French toast, fruit, whipped cream, and syrup, mmmmmm! After breakfast we packed up our tents and said goodbye to all of our friends at the backpackers lodge and headed to Rotorua. The car ride was fun, my friends had a ‘get to know Becky’ session, so I got to tell my life story. Also, my friend Stephanie fell asleep on my shoulder and drooled a little on me, it was hilarious! When we pulled into this new lodge we were amazed at how every single place seems to get better and better. The bathrooms at this place are absolutely amazing and we have a big kitchen too! Once we had our tents pitched and everything and ate lunch, Mark told us that we were going to go to a luge and gondola ride. Now I have been on the luge at park city, so I was expecting something similar to that, but I could not have been more wrong. This place was like a go-cart race track down a mountain with no guard rails and sharp turns! I swear, the best thing about New Zealand is that they have absolutely no regard for personal safety! We rode up the mountain in a gondola that over-looked one of the most amazing views that I have ever seen in my life. We all got our tickets for our five luge rides and got in line. I was on video duty of course and got a few interviews and impressions about the luging. When I finally got in line and was ready to go I decided to film the actual ride itself. So there I was barreling down a hill holding onto a thin little metal crossbar between the handles and trying to keep the camera steady while not crashing to my death! Frankly I think the picture of me would have been fairly hysterical! After I finally got down the hill I got on the chairlift to go back up and put the camera away to enjoy my other four rides. The luge was very fun and exciting, and has basically ruined all wussy American luges for me for the rest of my life! After the luging adventures a few people went swimming in the lake, while others went shopping. Because I forgot a towel and conditioner I decided to go with the shopping group. The most amazing thing about New Zealanders is that they don’t like to work. Work is just something they do until they go home, not an integral part of life. As a result, almost all stores close at 4:30 pm! Because we didn’t get to town until 6:00 we were pretty much out of luck. It was really fun to walk around and look in the windows though, and we did finally find a supermarket that was open that I was able to get a towel, shampoo and conditioner, and some toothpaste, which I also forgot. When we came home we were supposed to have dinner, but the burners were being slow, so we didn’t end up eating until 9:00. In the mean time my tent buddies and I had a small tent party with about five other girls, so there were about eight people in our little three-person tent! Also I got to play doctor to a few people who had cuts and stuff. Eventually dinner was finally ready and it was delicious, and finished off with amazing ice cream. After that I took a shower and shaved my legs, I will never underestimate the beauty of a good shower and shaved legs again in my life! When I got back to my tent I was trying to read my scriptures and write in my journal, but my roommates and I ended up having a giggle-fest for about an hour! Now they are both finally asleep and I am about ready to pass out too, goodnight!

First Pic on the left is of the rabbit being shorn. The picture on the right is a pre-shearing pic, can you believe the fur! The image in the middle is us right after we went caving. And the picture on the very bottom is of the mists this morning!

Day Three January 14, 2008 Monday

This might be the last time I can update for a while, so I am going to do it now so you can see the amazing stuff from today!

This morning we woke up super early, 6:45 to be exact! When I first climbed out of my tent I looked out on the fields that are surrounding our campsite, and there was a misty fog covering everything but the treetops, it was absolutely gorgeous. The mist made me feel a little like I was standing in a sinking ship or looking at a mystical forest or something. I put on my swimsuit as quickly as I possibly could and brushed my teeth and hair. There was no time for breakfast as I was in the very first group to go black-water rafting. We only had to walk across the little lane to the caving place. The first thing we did was sign release forms. Then they took us down to the open little area where they fitted us with wet suits and helmets with lights on the head. Putting on the wet suits was pretty funny, and we broke out into song more than once! Once we were all suited up we drove about two miles down the road to a little clearing with a stream running through it. We picked out our inner tubes and practiced jumping backwards off the dock so that we wouldn’t freak out when we had to jump off the waterfalls in the dark cave. After we got our inner tubes we hiked a ways up the hill in our wetsuits to the opening of the cave (PS: wetsuits are quite possibly the most uncomfortable hiking clothing of all time!). Finally it was time to climb into the caves. It was really rocky and jagged, but kind of cool too. We had to hike a ways into the caves before we got to the river part, but that was fine, the caves were really interesting. We stopped in a little tunnel and learned all about the glowworms. It was pretty cool, they basically live in a cocoon for nine months eating food that is attracted by their glowing bums and then live for two days, just long enough to lay a couple hundred eggs. Finally it was time to get in our tubes as we paddled and pushed our way through a labyrinth of tunnels filled with glowing worms on the ceilings. At one point we had to jump backwards off of a ten-foot waterfall, and I happened to be the lucky first contestant! We spent probably an hour and 15 minutes underground, and it was a total blast. After we came out of the tunnels we floated down a little stream for a while until we reached the vans again. When we got to the vans we all piled in and went back to the main place and stripped off our wetsuits. They gave us tomato soup and bagels when we got back, and I don’t think I have ever had more delicious soup in my entire life! When we came back we bummed around for a while and I did some picture managing. Around one we had some lunch and then hiked down the road a ways to the angora rabbit shearers. We walked into the little shop and rounded the corner and I found myself face-to-face with the fluffiest bunny I have seen in my entire life! They shear the bunnies to spin the wool and make some of the softest clothing of all time. When they shear the bunnies they actually tie all of their legs up and spin them around, kind of like a pig on spit! It was so funny watching this little bunny getting shaved, I wanted to feel bad, but I could tell that the bunny was so happy to just get a haircut! After the bunny shaving tutorial we walked back to camp and hung out for a while longer. It was nice to just sit and relax after the days we have been having. I was able to blog and get a few pictures up. After a while we had dinner and talked. I started to feel a bit queasy so I took a shower and tried to take it easy. Hopefully I will feel better in the morning. I’m sure I will. I have already had to doctor a few injuries and sicknesses. I am definitely keeping busy, and having a total blast!

Top is me in front of the Hamilton Temple Welcome sign with my friend Alison. Second row isa group shot with all of us loking in different directions in front of the temple on the left and on of our twelve passenger vans with the trailers on the right. The third row is a beautiful valley on the left and the Hamilton Temple on Right.

Day Two January 13, 2008 Sunday

Today we woke up around eight. The first thing we did was clean up a little bit in the bathrooms, then we ate breakfast. It was fairly good for being microwave eggs and unthawed hashbrowns and mushy bananas! It is amazing how everything seems to taste a hundred times better when you are camping. As it was Sunday we kind of took it easy. After breakfast we packed up our bags and our tents and cleared out. The vans we are in are actually pretty cool. There are three big vans for the 34 students and one van for Mark and his wife and three kids. Mark’s van is like a mini-van, but ours are full-on 12 passenger, biggest you can get. The seating is actually pretty cool too, there is a front bench, with the driver on the right of course. Also, the vans are manual transmissions, and the stick shift is on the left too, not very easy for our right-handed drivers! The next seat back is just a two-seater right behind the driver. The next row is a similar two seat and then one lone seat on the left with an aisle in-between the two. The seat is very uncomfortable, but there is a lot of leg room (I sat in this seat today). The next row back is another two-seater on the right. The final row is a three-person bench that takes up the width of the van just like the front. The really interesting thing about this seating arrangement is when you think about it there are only three of the twelve people on the left side of the car! Anyway, back to the day, after we loaded up into the vans we drove about three miles out to a little stretch of beach and had our own little church devotional. We didn’t have the sacrament, but we had a hymn, prayers, and three short little talks on gratitude. I know that the sacrament is important, and that the goup setting, with all of us in our jeans and shorts wasn’t really spiritual, but I don’t think I have ever felt more grateful for my life as I did when I was looking out on that beautiful little beach cove. Not only was I grateful for the beauty that was right in front of my eyes, but also for the opportunity I have to be here, how much everyone I love contributed to getting me here in their own way, and how lucky I am to have so many people care about me. So right now, I just want to say thank you to everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart right up to the top. When our devotional was over Mark and the boys went to fill up the vans, so the rest of us sat on the beach and meditated for about 45 minutes. It was gorgeous and I really enjoyed sitting there thinking about how incredible this was, how beautiful my surroundings were, how wonderful the light breeze was on my face, and how bad I felt for all the pale people back home while I was turning a nice golden brown! When Mark got back we loaded up again and started to drive towards Hamilton. About an hour or two outside Hamilton we stopped for lunch in a little town called Paura which is actually the town that they make L&P drink, it stands for lemon and Paura! Apparently they make it there because the water is soooo pure. The pure water fountains were turned off in the park we ate at, but our ham, salami, mayonnaise, mustard, and potato chip sandwiches were delicious after so much driving. After lunch we packed back in the vans and drove to the temple in Hamilton. The temple literally sits in the middle of a field, with nothing around it! The temple was beautiful and we had fun taking pictures and talking to the few people milling around. The visitor’s center and temple were closed for Sunday, but it was still fun to see it. After hanging around the temple for about an hour and twenty minutes we got back in the vans and drove about another hour to Waitomo and to our little campsite. I have to say that I really like this campsite, the grass is soft and springy, and they have really cheap internet! Internet was only $2 for 40 minutes, so I finally got to talk to everyone. After dinner (amazingly delicious spaghetti) I got on the internet and did my thing. As soon as my time ran out they called a group meeting and we talked about the things we needed to be aware of and any announcements for tomorrow’s activities. Tomorrow soudslike it is going to be an absolute blast, but I won’t spoil it in advance! Now I am VERY ready for bed, another beautiful night under the most gorgeous stars of all time. Its good to be alive.

Day One January 12, 2008

After flying all night and getting absolutely no sleep on the plane, we finally arrived in New Zealand at about 6:45 AM on Saturday (which is 10:45 am Friday for you Utah people!). We all trudged off the planes with our carry on and went down the long corridor, and even longer line for customs. Finally it was my turn, I was obviously a little nervous, having never gone through customs before, and I think the lady could tell, she asked me all sorts of questions, I think she just liked to watch me squirm as I tried to come up with the right answer! Finally when she was about to let me through she informed me that there was a problem with my visa, it was coming up as a visitors and not a student. While they tried to fix it I went to get my bags, man people are crazy when they get into hoards! When I finally got my bags they had fixed the visa issues and I went through a final bag check and x-ray. Some people, those carrying tents had to stay behind to get their equipment checked for American soil, the rest of us went out to the big 15 passenger vans and started packing the trailers (By the way I am eternally grateful to my tent-mate Erin for suffering through that!). You would not believe how weird it is for the driver to be on the other side of the car, and the cars to be on the other side of the road! I didn’t drive, because the vans turned out to be manuals and not automatics, so I filmed a lot of the packing and preliminary stuff. After everyone was loaded up we went to a park and played around for a while. I went into a hotel and quickly used the internet to send everyone a message, and then spent a good hour charging my camcorder. After falling asleep on the couch of the hotel, I decided it was probably time to go outside and enjoy the New Zealand air while we waited for our advisor to finish some of his own stuff. I mostly listened to my iPod in the grass, but it was beautiful, and the perfect temperature. I even got a little bit of sun, in January!!!! When our advisor came back he had fish and chips for us to eat for lunch, I have to say, even though there was almost enough grease and tomato paste to cover up the fishy taste, I still wasn’t a fan, although I did eat one whole fish piece, with lemon squirted over it, Dad would have died! When lunch was over we all piled into vans again and left Auckland, we really don’t care too much about the city stuff while we are here. We decided to take the scenic route to Whitanga (pronounced fitianga). It was beautiful driving along the coast with rocky cliffs on our other side. After about three and a half hours in the car, so around 4:30, we finally arrived. The first thing we did was set up our tent in our campsite. I am sleeping with two girls named Julia and Erin, they are awesome. After we got all situated a bunch of us decided to go down to the beach for a while before the sun went down. We had so much fun skin surfing and playing in the waves, and the water was perfect. After the sun went behind the hill half the group went back to the campsite, but the rest of us stayed behind to play ultimate frisbee. I am taking Alex’s advice, I am never going to say that I am too tired to do something, even though I was absolutely exhausted! Ultimate was a blast and my team totally kicked butt! After playing for about an hour and a half it was nearing nine, so we headed back to camp. I took a quick (timed 5 min) shower, and got ready for bed. I had to search through my bags for a while to find my flashlight but I finally did. Now it is bedtime and I talked my roommates into opening the rain flap of our tent so we could see the stars as we fall asleep! Good night! I can honestly say, that even though I have only been here one day, this will without a doubt be one of the best experiences of my life. I love you all.